Car-coupling



G E. NICHOLS.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Nov 24, 1-891.

(Nd Model.)

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GEORGE E. NICHOLS, OF HUNTINGTON, VEST VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,737, dated November24, 1891.

Application filed A rn 11, 1891.

v To atZZ 1071,0117, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GEORGE E. NIoHoLs, a citizen of the United States,residing at H untington, in the county of Cabell and State of WestVirginia, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of car-couplers inwhich an automatically-operated draw or coupling bar is employed toconnect the draw-heads of the cars to be coupled, and in which the carsare uncoupled without the necessity of going between them. 7

The objects of my invention are to hold the draw or coupling bar in anelevated position and to exclude rain, snow, dirt, and otherobjectionable matters from the draw-heads when the cars are uncoupled.

The invention further has for its objects to provide for holding thedrawor coupling bar in position to be automatically coupled and to providefor such automatic coupling, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

- The above-mentioned objects I attain by the means illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinalvertical sectional view of one of the draw-heads of a car, showing thedraw-bar in position for coupling. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinalvertical sectional view of one of the drawheads, showing the draw-barheld in an elevated position. Fig. 3 represents a similar view of one ofthe draw-heads, showing the fender and the draw-bar held in an elevatedposition thereby. Fig. at represents a top view of one of the draw-headsuncoupled, showing the fender down.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates a draw head, and thesides of the opening at the front are beveled outwardly, the bevelwidening from the bottom to the top of the opening for the purposehereinafter ex plained. At the rear of the socket the draw head isprovided with an opening E, shoulders F being provided at the upper andlower edges thereof, by means of which the draw-bar may be held inposition for coupling, the draw-bar Serial No. 388,586- (No model.)

projection L at one side, which is hinged toa.

pin M, passing through the lugs H, before mentioned. The opposite sideof disk is pro- -vided with an upwardly-curved lip N,for the purposehereinafter described. The disk at its center has a rectangularlipPpunched up from its lower surface, leaving a partiallycoveredopening, which serves as a catch for an offset on the draw-bar, ashereinafter set forth. To the top of the disk is secured a shieldR,which covers the opening above mentioned to effectually exclude rain,snow, or dirt, the disk covering the opening to the socket for the samepurpose.

The letter S indicates the draw or coupling bar, which is provided withapproximately spherical balls T at its ends. Midway between the balls onthe upper side of the bar is a projection U, having offsets V extendingto the front and rear thereof, which are adapted to engage the openingin the fender-disk to re tain the bar in an elevated position whendesired. One of the saidlugs, it will be observed, is longer than theother and serves to engage the shoulder I between the lugs H to hold thebar in an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The projection is provided with an opening and through Whicha chainextending above may be passed, so as to elevate the bar and uncouple thecars without going between them. The bar is provided, also,with asmaller perforated projection WV for the same purpose.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When about to couple twocars, the ribbed ball of the draw-bar is inserted in the socket orcavity and then pushed back so that the upper edge of the rib'will passunder the upper shoulder at the rear of the socket and the lower edge ofthe rib will rest against the front IOO of the lower shoulder. By thismeans the bar will beheld in position ready for coupling. \Vhen the carscome together, the ball at the free end of the bar will strike thebeveled sides of the opening at the front of the draw-head and will rideup between said sides and drop through the vertical opening into thesocket, coupling the cars. In case the fender is employed the ball onits upward passage will strike the curved lip and raise the fender, soas to permit the ball to drop into the socket. \Vhen the coupler is notin use, the bar may be held in position by engaging the long offset withthe shoulder at the upper rear edge of the vertical opening to thesocket, as shown in Fig. 2, or in case the fender is employed byengaging either of the lugs with the opening in the same, as shown inFig. 2 of the drawings. To uncouple the cars it is simply necessary tolift the ball at one end of the baroutof the socket by means of thechain before mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. I11 a car-coupler, a draw-head having a spherical socket, an openingextending from the top to said socket, an opening at the front havingbeveled sides and vertical lugs, and an intermediate shoulder at the topand rear of the vertical opening, in combination with a draw-bar havingapproximately spherical balls at its ends, an intermediate projection,and an oifset adapted to engage the shoulder and hold the bar in anelevated position, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the draw-head of a car-coupler, of a hingedfender having an opening at its center, a draw bar having sphericalballs at its ends, and an intermediate projection having offsets adaptedto engage the edge of said opening when the bar maybe held in anelevated position,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof Iaffix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. NICHOLS.

\Vitnesses:

A. B. WILLISON, LENNA WEAVER.

